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Saturday, April 29, 2017

Have you ever wanted to go to a conference where you left feeling like you were at a party? How about, have you ever wanted to go to a conference where there were so many different presenters and so many different sessions that you just couldn't decide which ones to attend? Or may, have you ever wanted to go to a conference where you got to hang out with friends you have known for years AND got to meet some new friends at the same time? And lastly, have you ever been to a conference where there were so many excited teachers that you left more motivated than ever before?

Well then....I have just the conference for you! You don't want to miss the Frog Street Splash Conference in Dallas, TX! Here are some highlights of the last two years.

So excited to meet these famous celebrities-Mary Jo and Stephen. Do you know them? If not, come to Frog Street, find them, and attend their sessions--you won't regret it! Mary Jo was one of the first presenters I had the pleasure of hearing many years ago! Who knew that we would become such good friends.

How fun to hang out with some of the top early childhood bloggers! A lot of inspiration in this group!

Network and socialize with THOUSANDS of teachers!

How excited that I had the opportunity to share my passion of teaching with so many teachers!

Thursday, April 20, 2017

If you asked me 20 years ago would kinders need to be able to read words, I would have easily answered no! But, things are constantly changing, and standards are becoming more rigorous. How can we teach words in a way that accomplishes the task in the most developmentally appropriate way possible? This post will show you how we do it!

First, let's look at how our brain actually learns a word. This will make sure that we are optimizing our teaching time.

Steps to Learn a New Word:

1. Show the child the word.
2. Discuss the word.
3. Mix-up, or cover up, the word.
4. Have the children use magnetic letters, shaving cream, dry erase board, etc., to make the word without look at your word.
5. After they write the word, show the child your word and compare their word to yours.
6. If necessary, try again from the beginning.

Let's look at this example, to see what it looks like in action.
1. Each child has a piece of black paper taped to the ground. Shaving cream is on the paper.
2. I write a word on the dry erase board. In this case I have written "can".
3. We talked about the word, how many letters, spelled it, etc.
4. I hid my word. The reasons we are hiding the word is to train the brain to look at the word as a unit. If we don't hide the word, the kids write a c and an a and a n. They do not write can.
5. The children attempt to write the word in the shaving cream. If they are unable to write the complete word, have the children "erase" the word.
6. Show them the word again. Talk about it again. Hide it again. Let them try it again...and again, and again....You get the point, right?
7. The good news is....the brain is very trainable! After a few sessions, the kids will start to catch on. The brain will begin to see the word as a chunk. This is why kids can learn to read sight words without knowing the letters!

Parking Lot Words

Another thing we can do to help our children be successful with sight words is to develop a "parking lot" for new words. Each week, we add new words to our word wall. On Monday, instead of putting the new words on the word wall, we put them on our "Parking Lot". The words stay there until Friday when they are moved to the actual word wall. The Parking Lot keeps the new words front and center. It lets you know which words to spotlight during charting, games, etc. You can get the Parking Lot and word list freebee below.

Word Rings

Just because the word is on the word wall doesn't mean that the kids all know the word. In the same note, just because a word isn't on the word wall doesn't mean that they don't know that word. The word wall is adjusted to meet grade level standards. But, as we know, some kids work above that standards while others struggle to meet it. How can we differentiate the words are kids are learning and still maintain a classroom word wall? We use word rings. Here's how they work.
1. First, we test each child over the words on the list. If you have a lot of words, you might want to start with just the first 20 or so. The list of words should match the first 20 words that will be added to the word wall.
2. Pick one child and ask him the words. Highlight any words he knows. (Or use ESGI! This screenshot shows what is on the ESGI assessment.)

But, when you are assessing, the kids will see this screen with one word at a time. As each word appears on the screen, you will be prompted to indicate if they know the word or if they don't know the word.

3. Now it's time to make a ring of words for each child. Add the highlighted words to a ring. Put the child's name on the ring. You can print your own word cards, or use the flash cards that are included with ESGI.

4. Repeat for all of the children in the room.
5. Each day, invite each child to read their ring of words. I do this in the morning as they are coming in, during centers, etc.
6. Each child needs a 70%/30% ratio of known to unknown words. That means, if a child has 10 words on their ring, they should have 7 words they know, and 3 words they do not know.
7. As a child masters a word, add a new word to the ring, never having more than 30% of known words.

The parent letter on ESGI is one place where you will find the known and unknown words. There is a bar graph that you can use as well. Use this promo code to try ESGI for Free and to Save if you decide to purchase. http://www.esgisoftware.com/ESGI/?promo=adsit

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Want to play a super fun, easy game to teach number sense with the number line? Then, this is the game for you. Our kids love this game, and ask to play it all year. Here's how you play:

You can use any deck of cards. I make decks to match the various seasons so that we can play all year. You can also change the number pattern on the cards. This game is a 1-10 game. You can also make it 1-20 or a skip counting pattern. You choose depending on what you are teaching!

Getting Ready to Play

First, you need 4 sets. I have ladybug, dragonfly, butterfly and caterpillar sets.

Place a card for each set and NO numeral in a column on the left side.

Shuffle the 40 cards.

Lay them facedown in 4 rows to create an array.

Playing the Game

Invite one child to turn over ANY card.

Look to see what is on the card. (4 ladybug)

Decide on which row (set) the card belongs.

Decide where on the row the card belongs.

Always ask, "How did you know?" to allow children to share their thinking.

Once the correct location is decided, remove the card (4 butterfly) that is laying face down in that location.

Lay the 4 ladybug down.

Hand the second child the next card (4 butterfly).

Once the correct location is decided, remove the card that is laying face down in that location.

Decide on which row (set) the card (4 butterfly) belongs.

Decide where on the row the card belongs.

Always ask, "How did you know?" to allow children to share their thinking.

The game continues until all of the 40 cards are turned over and in the correct location.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Marcia Tayte tells us the importance of art in learning and developing brain power. This is a fun way to incorporate art, writing nonfiction text, and information about insects.

This paper doll book is really quite easy to make. At the beginning of the year, I teach the kids how to fold the paper to make the book. We do it together several more times. By this time of the year, they are an expect and can easily make their own. Here are the steps to make the book.

First, get a piece of 12 x 18 construction paper. Invite the children to fold the paper in half like a "hotdog".

Leave the paper folded hotdog, and fold it again. This time fold the paper "hamburger".

Now, fold the paper again "hamburger" style.

Unfold the paper. Using a pair of scissors, invite the children to cut out the rectangle on the bottom left and the rectangle on the bottom right. Save these for later.

Fold the two outside rectangles on the top row over. This will make the jacket for the paper doll.

Using a pair of scissors, invite the children to cut a triangle between the two bottom remaining rectangles. This will divide the two bottom rectangles to make legs.

Glue the two rectangles (cut out earlier) behind the jacket to make the arms.

Use patterns, or free cutting, to make the head and shoes. The children can trace their own hands to make the hands for the paper doll. Use scrapbooking paper to make the jacket front. Add a name tag, and you are all done with the paper doll.

Now it's time to add the "All About Insects" book. Staple a cover, a diagram page, and several blank pages together.

Work together in a guided writing, or invite the children to work independently to make a table of contents.

On the first page in the booklet, the children draw and label an insect. Provide several nonfiction books that include diagrams of various insects for the children to use as a reference. On the remaining pages, the children write facts to match the table of contents.

This idea, the reproducibles for the paper doll and the nonfiction book are included in this unit.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

It isn't spring in kindergarten if you aren't talking about bugs! How many ladybugs, beetles, and other crawling bugs do your children bring to you each day on the playground? Here are some of the fun activities we are doing to learn all about Insects and Other Bugs.

I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a...

Invite the children to create the old lady paper doll. When gluing down the mouth, only put the glue along the left edge. This will allow you to lift the mouth. Select an insect clip art picture to glue inside the mouth. On another day, provide the children with the clues frame. The children write clues to match the insect inside the mouth. Writing clues is a great way to teach descriptive language.

SWAT! It!

Use this fly swatter activity to teach subtraction. Reproduce a fly swatter clip art and a swat blob. Invite the children to glue them to the paper and add a handle to the fly swatter. Provide the children with 2 dice. Roll the dice and write the number sentence on the recording page. Glue fly clip art to the project to match the number sentence. Write the subtraction story on the recording page.

Ant Hill Subtraction

Give the children the ant hill pattern. Invite the children to use a black crayon or marker to draw anthill tunnels. Roll two dice and write the equation on the recording page. Using a new pencil, children dip the eraser end into black paint. Print 3 dots touching to make an ant. Make ants on the paper to match the equation. Once they are dry, add features with a marker. Write the subtraction story on the recording page.

What is in the Jar?

Here is another fun activity to teach descriptive language. Invite the children to make the kid holding the bug jar. Use scrap paper to create a bug in the jar. Provide a second jar clip art with lines for writing clues. Children write three clues about the bug in their jar.

Ordinal Number Bugs

Make a flap foldable by creating 9 different sections on the folded strip of paper. Sequence the numbers on each of the flaps. Glue a bug under each flap. Each child's work will be different as they can glue the bugs in any order they wish! Record the ordinal position of each bug on the recording page. Use a bingo dotter to add color to the bugs.

Ladybug Cookies

Kids love to cook! Cooking is a great way to teach procedural text. The children must read the recipe to know how to make the cookies. For this cooking activity, the children frost a sugar cookie red, yellow or orange. Then, they add an oreo for the head, chocolate chips for the spots, and yellow gel frosting for the eyes.

Cookie Graph

Once the kids make their cookies, create a graph to show which colors the kids frosted their ladybug cookies. Invite the children to ask their friends what color they frosted their ladybugs. Tally the results. Next, use the tally marks to create a graph. Last, the children use the graph to analyze the data.

Number Word Jars

These jars are an easy way to teach number words and to develop a mental image for each number using a tens frame. On each page, the children glue bugs into the tens frame to match the number word. Use bingo dotters to add color to the bugs.

_ug Family Game

This game is useful for teaching words in the _ug family. Invite the children to place the various onset circles onto the game board to produce _ug family words.

Toilet Paper Roll Ladybug

As the children are making the words on the game board, record the words on the recording page. Paint a toilet paper roll red. Add wings, spots, eyes, nose and antennas to make a ladybug. Roll up the list of _ug family words and slide it inside the toilet paper roll.

Bug Jar Number Fun

This bug jar game is a great way to introduce the concept of mixed operations. To play the game, give each child a game board, insect clip art, and a dice. Invite the children to roll the dice. Put that many bugs in the jar. In this example, the child rolled a 3, so there are now 3 bugs in the jar.

Roll again. This time the child rolled a 2. They must decide what they need to do in order to have two bugs in the jar. I ask them, "do you need to take some out, or put some in?" The correct response will be that they need to take one out to get from 3 to 2. Continue to roll and move bugs so that the number on the dice matches the number of bugs in the jar.

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Kim is a retired kindergarten teacher! She taught kindergarten for 30 years and now works as a national presenter. Now that she is retired, she spends her time volunteering in Megan's room. When she isn't working at Megan's school, she loves to garden and spend time with her family. She and Andy, her husband, have two children, Megan, who is married to Nick, and Tyler, who is married to Ginny. They also have a beagle named KT Ann. Megan followed in her mom's footsteps and is also a kindergarten teacher. She loves building relationships with her kiddos and their families. When she isn't teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family. She is married to Nick. They enjoy all the GA sports teams! She and Nick have a miniature dachshund named Lily Grace.

Copyright Notice

Items that are free or for sale on my web-site/blog are for your use in your classroom only, but please respect the fact that I worked hard on creating these items for you and they are not for your sale/resale as your own creation. In other words, treat them as Copyrighted (they are).